Please select the topic you are interested in, or simply scroll down the page to read the answers to all questions.
What are the registered political parties in Canada?
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*The parties in bold letters are currently represented in the House of Commons.
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What riding do I live in and who are the candidates?
Elections Canada has put together an excellent data base filled with information about each of the 308 ridings in Canada (complete with maps and statistics of the area).
Click here to find your riding.
What are the party standings in the House of Commons going into the election?
Going into the general election, the standings in the House of Commons are as follows.
| Conservatives | Liberals | Bloc Québécois | New Democrats | Independent | TOTAL |
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| 125 | 96 | 49 | 30 | 4 | 304 (+ 4 vacant) |
Why might an election be held now?
Unlike in the United States, where an election is automatically held every two years on the first Tuesday in November, federal elections in Canada are held upon the dissolution of the Parliament by the Governor General on the advice of the Prime Minister. The government can then hold office for a maximum of five years* but frequently call the election before that term expires.
* Only once has a government held office for longer than five years. The 12th Parliament of Canada ran from November 15, 1911 until October 6, 1917 - a total of 5 years, 10 months, and 21 days. The five year term expired but it was felt that the disruption of an election during such an enormous crisis (World War I) could be disastrous. At the end of the five years, the House of Commons was no longer allowed to convene so laws could not be passed nor could any government activity occur through normal means. The government was sustained, however, through Governor General grants of funds for expenditures necessary to keep the country operating.
What are the major issues that the parties are running on?
- Bloc Québécois Election Platform - coming soon
- Conservative Party Election Platform - coming soon
- Liberal Party Election Platform - coming soon
- New Democratic Party Election Platform - coming soon
- Green Party Election Platform - coming soon
What was the outcome of the election?
The results of the 40th General Election will be posted here once they are available.
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